‘Xhaka vibes’ – Trossard hailed as Arteta solves Arsenal problem

Arsenal defeated Wolves 2-1 to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

It was a strange performance in many ways. Arsenal were at their scintillating best in the first half but were caught slacking in the second. Ultimately, their two-goal cushion was enough to withstand a late onslaught from the visitors.

Leandro Trossard replaced the in-form Kai Havertz on the left side of Arsenal’s midfield and the Belgian earned rave reviews despite many believing that head coach Mikel Arteta should stop playing the winger out of position. The January signing didn’t put in the type of shift you would expect from him.

Trossard, usually a tricky attacker, did a lot of the dirty work and it reminded many Arsenal fans of the type of play that Granit Xhaka showed last season before his departure for Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Trossard won possession a match-high 10 times, double the amount any other Arsenal player mustered with the exception of Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The fact that he had more shots than any other player illustrates that he was also a threat going forward, but it was his defensive performance that won plaudits and it helped to solve a problem for the Gunners.

Odegaard problem solved

Trossard’s defensive shift unshackled Martin Odegaard and this was noticeable in the Norwegian’s attacking output, producing six key passes and a goal.

A recurrent theme throughout this season has been that Odegaard and Saka often got in each other’s way, with the captain gravitating towards the 22-year-old’s right side, which then had a negative effect on the England international. Trossard, however, gave the team more balance and Saka opened the scoring after going five matches without netting in the league.

While the Trossard shift fixed one problem for the Gunners, it potentially throws up another – what is to be done with Havertz? The German scored in his previous two games and looked to have overcome his early-season struggles. Trossard will be keen to retain his place in the side, which could prove to be a massive setback for Havertz.